Pharmacies in the Windsor Essex region have been selected as part of a pilot program to administer COVID-19 vaccines.
"The Ministry is working directly with the Pharmacists Association and these vaccines will be going directly to the pharmacies in the region," said Medical Officer of Health Dr. Wajid Ahmed.
The final details of the program have not been finalized. However, participating pharmacies will be administering the AstraZeneca vaccine.
"Knowing that AstraZeneca is approved or recommended for individuals who are 65 years and under, that probably would be the target group and the best way to go through some of these lists is to use the age as a criteria," said Dr. Ahmed.
It still has not been determined how many pharmacies will be involved or how many doses the region will receive.
Dr. Ahmed said no matter how many doses are delivered it will equal more protection for the region.
"Despite some of the questions or concerns about which vaccine is the best one or which one I should get, all these vaccines are pretty effective and you need a level of protection," said Dr. Ahmed. "If you are getting an opportunity to get the vaccine get it to keep yourself protected and bring a level of protection to our community."
The AstraZeneca vaccine was approved last month by Health Canada. It is given in two doses 4-12 weeks apart and has a 62 per cent effectiveness rate. Side effects of the vaccine include headache, joint and muscle pain, fever, vomiting, and diarrhea.
It's expected the pharmacy pilot program will be launched in mid-March.
